Added: Your Home IS Your Castle Now In Texas!

Way to go to the 2007 80th Texas Legislature and Governor Perry for passing and signing the "Castle Doctrine" aka deadly force bill today! The bill, SB 378, gives law abiding residents of Texas the right to use deadly force in their homes, cars and workplaces. The new law will take effect Sept 1, 2007. Until then and previously we were expected to retreat. The best part is the bill provides civil immunity so long as the outlines of the bill are followed exactly. One can't be the aggressor either by taunting or actions, but it's about time a woman's house IS her castle and she doesn't have to flee for her own safety.

Now realistically I still think it's a good idea to avoid the situation if at all possible, get yourself to a place of safety and call the real deal to handle the problem, but once you've done all the above, be prepared to DIY if reasonably necessary. Shoot first and fall apart afterwards! And less any of the anti-gun crowd get their panties in a bunch, I'll happily point out that police and prosecutors can still press charges if they feel deadly force was used illegally. That means you, drug dealers! You'll be immune from civil lawsuits not criminal ones!

The 2nd best part of all this is that an overwhelming majority of the legislature was in favor of this bill and its passage! That's great! This is a great state! Eat your heart out California!

This is from the NRA-ILA and it's important to mention Attorney General Greg Abott's support too!

Governor Perry Signs Critical Self-Defense Reform Bill!

On Tuesday, March 27, Governor Rick Perry (R) signed Senate Bill 378, NRA-supported “Castle Doctrine” legislation. Governor Perry’s signature made Texas the first state to adopt “Castle Doctrine” legislation in 2007! SB 378 will protect individuals who use force to defend themselves in their home, car and their place of business or employment, from criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits. It also states that you have no “duty to retreat” from an attack if you are in a place where you have a right to be, if you did not provoke your attacker, and if you are not engaged in criminal activity yourself.

Please thank Governor Perry and our bill sponsors for their leadership on this issue and their support of the right to self-defense for law-abiding Texas citizens!

Also, please thank Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) for standing up for our Second Amendment rights. Attorney General Abbott took the lead among the States in defending the individual right to keep and bear arms by submitting a brief on behalf of Texas and 12 other States opposing Washington, D.C.’s handgun-ban. Attorney General Abbott assembled the coalition of States, drafted a serious, scholarly legal brief laying out the constitutional foundation for the individual right to keep and bear arms. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down Washington D.C.’s handgun ban as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment on Friday, March 9.

Thanks to Attorney General Abbott for his leadership and initiative on this issue!

ATM'S MUST-READ Blog Post

It's no secret that I think Attila The Mom over at Cheaper Than Therapy is a word genius. She puts words together in such a way that I'm just blown away...she makes me laugh out loud, she makes me cut and paste and send "her stuff" to my kids and close friends so they too can chortle out loud! Her point of view makes me think too. And my kids and close friends will tell you that getting me to think is a major accomplishment. I act, I react, I brood, I worry, I cuss, I go off on tangents, but they don't usually see me think. But, hey, sorry, this is NOT about me - although pretty much everything IN this blog is - it's about talent and The Mom has got it by the double handfuls!

Check out Titillating News for just a tiny taste (all sorts of puns there, trust me on this one!).

UPDATE - HCSO: Damned if they Do, Damned if they Don't

Update:

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas announced that there will be no search for the body of Tynesha Stewart Saturday night. "There are no remaining body parts," Thomas said at a news conference. "We have determined through this investigation that the defendant dismembered the victim and burned her body parts. There is no body to be found."

ERIN TRIEB: FOR THE CHRONICLE

-------------------->>>

The family and friends pitched such a fit over the Harris County Sheriff's Department saying they wouldn't try and find the remains of the missing slain A&M student that the resulting media hype and hysteria has forced them to reconsider that option. Add to that reversal the fact that they say they now believe she might of been cut into chunks and crammed into assorted garbage bags before being dumped in the dumpster. Poor woman. But thank goodness the X-man and other assorted hate mongers are on the job shoving blame onto the HCSO instead of at the hands of the former boyfriend of the victim. God forbid he be held accountable for any of his actions.

His family went so far as to send word to HER family that they were praying for them. That's nice. And now I expect HER family to say he couldn't help it because he loved her so much he couldn't bear being apart. So instead he decided to part HER.

You want to know the sad part in all this? $500,000. That's the amount that's being earmarked for her recovery. That's assuming she can be recovered. Seems to me that the TONS of garbage that could potentially be covering her up is just the tip of the trash pile. After going through the compacting of the trash truck they aren't likely to find anything! But God knows a half a mil is chump change when it comes to pacifying those addicted to press coverage.

As a card carrying supporter of the HCSO I ought to be ashamed of myself for even writing this, but I'm not. 'Cause I'm also a taxpaying Harris County resident and I think that money could be put to better use. I'm a mom too and I do feel for the families, but shit happens. People kill people all the time. It's his fault, make him pay for the recovery! Oh, no, wait a minute, he's on suicide watch. Chickenpoop.

Well, I feel for my "boys".....yet again they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. I think the ideal solution would be to put the X-man and his buds on the end of the hoes and shovels at the dump and let them REALLY do something newsworthy. Oh, wait, no that would be WORK....manual labor.....that's not going to happen, is it?

Presenting My Great Nephew David!

He's got his momma's eyes too! This is David, the only son of my oldest bro's youngest daughter. (Say that 12 times fast, I dare you!)

This is what his mom had to say about the picture...

Here is the picture of David (serious/tough guy expression) that will be displayed at the Glamour Shots - Woodlands Mall (the Woodlands, TX) starting in April and it will be in one of the windows next to the mini motorcycle. The picture is 20x24- and will be there until July.

Isn't he adorable!

George Strait's Texas Cookin'

I bought George Strait's newest CD It Just Comes Natural and one of the songs on it is Texas Cookin' written by Guy Clark. Here's the lyrics...

Texas Cookin'

I'm going down to Austin, Texas
Ease on down to San Antone
Get that bar-b-que and chili
Eat my fill then come back home
I'm gonna take my baby with me
We gonna have a high ol' time
We gonna eat till we get silly
Sho' do make a beer taste fine

Chorus: Oh my, momma ain't that Texas cookin' something
Oh my, momma stop you' belly and backbone bumpin'
Oh my, momma ain't that Texas cookin' good
Oh my, momma eat it everyday if I could

Well, I know a man that cooks armadillo
Tastes so sweet he calls it pie
I know a woman that makes pan dulce
Tastes so good it gets you high

Get that enchiladas greasy
Get them steaks chicken fried
Sho' do make a man feel happy
See white gravy on the side

Repeat Chorus

Well I know a place that's got fried okra
Beat anything I ever saw
I know a man that cooks cabrito
It must be against the law

We gonna get a big ol' sausage
Big ol' plate of ranch-style beans
I could eat the heart of Texas
We gonna need some brand new jeans

Repeat Chorus

Makes me hungry just typin' it! I make a mean chicken fried steak and cream gravy, but I haven't in a long time. Now I'd go to Hickory Hollow if I wanted some good chicken fried steak.
For the best sausage in Texas, just click on Prasek's Hillje Smokehouse! There is a lOT of great food in Texas! Eat your heart out California....

10 Years Today - How Time Flies!

My car is ten years old today! It's odometer reads 50,524 miles! The A/C and dryer had to be replaced Monday! They tell me that's pretty good that I've not had a speck of trouble out of the cooling system in all these years. I'm trying really hard to hold onto that good thought while gritting my teeth that it picked THIS week to crap out on me. It's a candy apple red 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP and my baby.

I'd post a picture of it, but I've got to go and start hosing myself off and getting spruced up for the Josh Groban concert tonight at the Toyota Center. I saw him a couple of years ago when he came to the Woodlands and he puts on a great show. He is such a fabulous talent!

I'm driving to the concert in my OLD CAR. Wish me luck!

My Backyard Bird Photos - Best Ever!

This is the male red-shouldered hawk. His mate is below. Red-shouldered hawks mate for life. Too bad you can't say that about most humans!



This is as good at it gets! It's as if they posed just for me and then the next day they went back to keeping their distance. These are just two of the ones I took. These and all the rest of the pictures are in my photo gallery at http://ediegoodwin.smugmug.com/. Enjoy!

While I was watching her through my kitchen window I used my laptop to search for information about them and was delighted to learn such things as:
By the time they are five days old, nestling Red-shouldered Hawks can shoot their feces over the edge of their nest. Bird poop on the ground is a sign of an active nest.

Their enemies are Great Horned Owls, raccoons and man who clears the land and is destroying their natural habitats and causing them to come and sit on my fence! Their idea of McDonalds is to dine on small mammals, small birds, reptiles, amphibians, large insects, and crayfish. I wish they'd eat some of the young squirrels that are living in my yard! Say what you will, squirrels are still rodents or just RATS with a better tail! Why on earth anyone would feed and encourage them is beyond me!

Spring has sprung! Er....we didn't even have a proper winter, but I'm not complaining about the lack of ice in the greater Gulf Coast area!

How Much For Toby's Chewing Gum on E-bay?

I got to see Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961) for my 3rd time last night at the Houston Rodeo and he’s getting better each time I see him. Well, okay, he’s a tad fatter this year than he was last year, but heck who isn’t. I had a difficult time getting a good picture of him because he put his head down a lot and, of course, he had that signature hat on too.

Now about the gum....last year I wrote this about his “gum thing”….

The odd parts (and you KNEW they'd be odd parts) were a) he never introduced the members of the band, just the band as a whole and b) he CHEWED GUM the ENTIRE time he performed! I've never seen anything like that. I wanted to march on stage and hold out my hand for the gum like the nuns used to do in grade school. 'Course I'd of never made in over the fence much less onto the stage, but I could see me doing it in my mind. The gum didn't seem to affect his abilities, but it was..... I dunno.... rude maybe. Certainly not "professional" and yet Tobe is the consummate "outlaw" so I guess if the Wriggley fits..... or different chews for different you's...

Well I’m not going to even think someone in his clique might of read that, but dadgum if he didn’t ditch his gum just before he started singing! I was highly impressed that he learned some manners in just one short year! Yea Tobe! Hmmmm .... I wonder how much that piece of gum would go for on E-bay?



The music got too loud again this year, but by and large he is just so darn entertaining and we all just love him and he has a good strong voice so it doesn’t take away any thing from the event. He “let” us sing some of the songs and that went over like a fart in church. We all know the punch line parts like “get drunk and be somebody” or “a lot more action”, but what comes before that is something else entirely. It’s cool when you can sing along WITH him, then everyone knows the words (yeah, right), but to have to solo it with thousands of others is just too fun-knee!

He puts on a good show no question about it and he doesn’t dilly dally around small talkin', he gets on it and stays on it the whole time. He’s got a new “album” coming out in June and I’ll be at the front of the line for sure.



Toby Keith Can Sing And Chew

Some Thoughts On Alan Jackson & The Houston Rodeo

Paula and Larry took me and one of my kids to see Alan Jackson at the Houston Rodeo on March 8 and I’ve been hesitant to write about it until I had time to chew on it. You see my daughter that went with me works with hospice patients and she’s unfortunately used to seeing terminally ill folks and she said he looked sick to her. I know he looked bloated or something over last year. Yeah, I guess “bloated” is as good a description as any because he certainly wasn’t fat. I know fat and he didn’t have that. He looked steroid fat if that makes sense.

Add that to some of the things he said that sure sounded like “goodbye” and it was disturbing. He’s only 48 and he did look a lot older this year than the last two, but it wasn’t just old, it was something else. So I’m going to say some prayers for him just in case and hope that he’s fine and dandy and was just having an off night.

<<------------->>

On a little bit higher note, I’ve just got to say how slick the whole rodeo experience is. This year we’ve just been breezing out to the bus, hopping on without any undue wait and POW we’re back at Larry’s car in no time flat. Every facet from the bus ride to the ticket takers to the various law enforcement agencies keeping everything under control is awe inspiring. The ONLY thing that I just HATE is the vendors. I hate them at the baseball game too, but they should NOT be allowed to peddle their ugly pink hats (among other items) DURING the star attraction’s performance. For God’s sake they bring in great talent and folks pay money to go and see them and then you have some idiot blocking the view with his/her cheap-ass crap. If one can’t buy beer after a certain time, then the peddlers ought to be cut off just before the star comes out. This is not about infringing on someone’s right to make a living, this is about infringing on our right to see and hear what we came for.

More Red-Shouldered Hawk Photos!

Go and see them all ..... just click on either picture to see the whole collection.



I'm just amazed that he got so close and the pictures turned out half decent!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow! RNY Progress

Good Lord, I'm going to be a thin bald woman at the rate I'm going! I always said I'd be the thinnest patient at M D Anderson, which wasn't very funny considering the people, God love them, that have cancer and lose weight because of it. So now I'm thinking maybe God is punishing me for popping off by taking my hair out in clumps!!



Oh, wait a minute. Deep breath. Calm down. Get a grip.

Phew, now then, okay it's not all THAT bad, but it's scary stuff to wash your hair and have TONS of it on your hands and in the tub and clinging to your newly Shar Pai'd skin! I've read up on it and found a couple of sources that say not to worry, this too shall pass. But hell's bells it's the "passing" part that's got me freaked! I know it's not permanent hair loss. I know there is nothing I can do to prevent it. I know I'm NOT eating enough protein, but even if I was it's a fact of RNY afterlife. I'm also not drinking enough water, but that's another story for another day.

Here's a couple of cool links on the subject of hair today gone tomorrow via RNY Gastric Bypass Surgery. Enjoy!

And here's a couple of cuties that looks a lot like my upper arms, my butt and my gut now! But, you know what, I don't care about that or the recently departed hair follicles because I'm losing weight! Yea me! 52 pounds since the surgery (95 days ago!) and 81 total since June of 2006.



Which is not to say it's all a bed of roses, there are plenty of down-sides, but I'm looking at the big picture. I went into this surgery looking at the big picture. It's not easy. It's not for everyone, but it was for me. And it's exceeding my expectations!

Rather than post the links to my previous RNY stuff you can use the labels to find them if you're so inclined. Oh, and one of the links above on hair loss needs a plug right about now...... it's The Morbid Me and it's wonderful! Yea him!

Re: Umm...Blogger?...Do We have a Problem?

This is so good! You tell 'em, Claus! And while you're at it, ask why I have to logon constantly! If I want to add a comment somewhere, if I want to post here.....it gets old real fast! This is my computer, being used in my home, cookies from Blogger/Google/etc. are all welcome....I click the "remember me" thing and STILL it acts like its never seen me before.... gripe, gripe, gripe.... add that to the fact that their letters and numbers I'm asked to reproduce in order to comment leave a LOT to be desired in the way they are presented. Irritates the living piss out of me to have to keep typing new arrangements because I can't tell if that's a "t" or "1" or "l" or "e" or "3" or something that's totally made-up just to confuse me!

I guess the bottom line is still that it's all free. It's me that has the problem.

SEC Suspends Trading Of 35 Companies Touted In Spam Email Campaigns

Washington, D.C., March 8, 2007 - The Securities and Exchange Commission this morning suspended trading in the securities of 35 companies that have been the subject of recent and repeated spam email campaigns (see examples). The trading suspensions - the most ever aimed at spammed companies - were ordered because of questions regarding the adequacy and accuracy of information about the companies.

The trading suspensions are part of a stepped-up SEC effort - code named "Operation Spamalot" - to protect investors from potentially fraudulent spam email hyping small company stocks with phrases like, "Ready to Explode," "Ride the Bull," and "Fast Money." It's estimated that 100 million of these spam messages are sent every week, triggering dramatic spikes in share price and trading volume before the spamming stops and investors lose their money.

"When spam clogs our mailboxes, it's annoying. When it rips off investors, it's illegal and destructive," said SEC Chairman Christopher Cox. "Today's trading suspensions, and actions that will follow, should send a clear message to spammers: the SEC will hold you accountable."

----$$$=>> Wonderful! Thank YOU SEC! (I never thought I'd be thanking the SEC on my blog...) I personally get dozens of these messages a day. They have snappy titles that have nothing to do with the content and they are very good at using odd combinations of letters to thwart most spam filters. I delete cookies I don't recognize as being useful to me and make sure I don't have any hidden tattle-tale files on my computer and I've almost completely eliminated the "how to grow bigger boobs" to go along with my "bigger cock" that for some reason they are SURE I've got, but I can't make a dent in the "stock market" of spam. I sure hope this helps! Then the only thing I'd have to content with is that A-hole Nigerian that wants to let me share in the gazillion dollars being held in a bank account just waiting for someone with SUCKER written across their puss!

What The Hell Kind Of Honeymoon Is This!?

Within two days of their marriage, a Houston man and woman committed suicide in separate incidents downtown.

Nils Aron Andersson, 25, and Cassy Ann Walton, 28, married Monday.

On Tuesday, Andersson was found dead about 2 a.m. in the parking garage of the Lofts at the Ballpark. Police said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at 2120 Texas.

Less than 48 hours later, Walton shot herself as Houston police officers tried to talk to her through the door of her apartment at the Post Rice Lofts, 909 Texas, authorities said.

Walton was pronounced dead at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday. The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office ruled both deaths suicides.

The couple represented part of Houston's growing downtown scene, where young people live, work and play hard.

[deleted]

Andersson was apparently in a car on the phone with his wife when he pulled the trigger, Powell said.

Cindy Michelle Walton said her sister suffered from bipolar disorder, a hereditary condition she shared with her mother, who committed suicide in October 2003.

Bipolar disorder, commonly called manic depression, is a brain disorder that causes shifts in mood, personality and the ability to function, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Though she struggled with depression, Cassy Walton was a successful senior manager at JPMorgan, where she had worked for seven years, her sister said.

[deleted]

After Andersson killed himself, Cassy Walton was hospitalized Tuesday in a psychiatric care facility, her sister said. Although her doctor apparently put a 24-hour hold on Cassy Walton, her sister said she was released about 10:45 p.m. that night.

After her release, Cassy Walton purchased a 9 mm handgun from a sporting-goods store. She used that gun Wednesday night to kill herself, her sister said.

By LINDSAY WISE
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

------>>> Naturally it wasn't pointed out that Ms. Walton must of been a CHL holder because one can't just waltz into stores that sell guns and walk out after the purchase without prior 'approval'...

It shall be unlawful for any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer to sell, deliver, or transfer a firearm unless the federal firearms licensee receives notice of approval from a prescribed source approving the transfer.

Sale of a firearm by a federally licensed dealer must be documented by a federal form 4473, which identifies and includes other information about the purchaser, and records the make, model, and serial number of the firearm. Sales to an individual of multiple handguns within a five-day period require dealer notification to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Violations of dealer record keeping requirements are punishable by a penalty of up to $1000 and one year's imprisonment.

From NRA-ILA: Federal Gun Laws

------>>> I feel for the families. Nothing is as frustrating as dealing with mental illness and absolutely nothing is as final as death. My mother was diagnosed with several mental disorders during her lifetime.....the one that made the most sense was bipolar. The meds now are so much better than the ones then. Having worked at developing a sense of humor and escaping the house when her rants became personal was the only way I survived my home life relatively unscathed. She tried to scath me a time or two. Enough about that though, don't want to get to personal about it all. May God grant them eternal rest and peace at last. Mom too.

T.G.I. Friday's Just The Right Size Surprise!

T.G.I. Friday is not one of my usual haunts when it comes to eating out, but I might just have to add it to my itinerary!

T.G.I. Friday's® Restaurants Take Leadership Role with Portion Control

Friday's® Becomes First Casual Dining Chain to Offer Smaller Portions At Lower Prices All Day, Every Day with Right Portion, Right Price Menu Offerings

March 06, 2007, Carrollton, Texas /PRNewswire/ — In an unprecedented move in the casual dining industry, T.G.I. Friday's® restaurants today became the first restaurant chain in the category to offer a variety of smaller portion entrees at lower prices all day, every day with its Right Portion, Right Price menu.

"This is a category issue stemming from consumer demand. The category needs to listen," said Richard Snead, president and chief executive officer of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, parent of T.G.I. Friday's restaurants. "We are listening."

"Cutting back on portion sizes is one of the best strategies for helping individuals lose or maintain their weight," said Julie Upton, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "This is especially true when eating out. Serving smaller restaurant portions is a great strategy for helping people lose or maintain their weight and most consumers won't even notice that they're being served less, and they'll really appreciate the potential health payoffs."

"This is a significant part of Friday's overall goal of personalizing and customizing the guest experience," said Snead. "No matter what your lifestyle choice, you don't have to sacrifice taste. Smaller portions at smaller prices meet all lifestyle choices."

Friday's announced six new entrées for the new Right Portion, Right Price ($6.99 – $8.99) menu: Asian-Glazed Chicken with Field Greens, Cedar-Seared Salmon on Field Greens, Cedar-Seared Salmon with Pasta, Bistro Sirloin Salad, Jack Daniel's® Chicken Alfredo and Dragonfire Chicken. In addition, you can choose from four classics -- Bruschetta Chicken Parmesan, Cajun Shrimp & Chicken Pasta, Half-Rack Baby Back Ribs and Shrimp Key West. Two of the offerings, Dragonfire Chicken and Shrimp Key West are also included in the "Better For You" section and contain 500 calories or less and 10 grams or less of fat per serving.

The Right Portion, Right Price menu will be featured at 582 US T.G.I. Friday's restaurants locations. To locate a Friday's close to you, visit www.fridays.com.

--->> Now I'll admit that even at reduced portions it'll still be way too much for me to eat right now, but hey, it's a start in the right direction for everyone wanting to stop the dadgum supersize-my-ass craze!

UPDATE! Big Bopper Likely Died Instantly

This is the 2nd and most likely final part of my post on the untimely and unfortunate demise of the Big Bopper in 1959. He's gone, but will never be forgotten because his music lives on....at least in the hearts of those of us that remember him like it was just yesterday when we bought our 45 RPMs...

This is from today's Houston Chronicle......

Exam: 'Big Bopper' likely died instantly in '59 crash
By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS

J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson suffered massive fractures and likely
died immediately in the 1959 plane crash that also killed early rock
'n' rollers Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, a forensic anthropologist
said today after exhuming the body.

The performer's son, Jay Richardson, hired Dr. Bill Bass, a well-known
forensic anthropologist at the University of Tennessee, to look at the
remains in Beaumont.

There have been rumors a gun might have been fired on board the plane
and that the Big Bopper might have survived the crash and died trying
to get help.

Bass took X-rays of the body and found nothing today to support those
theories.

"There was no indication of foul play," Bass said in a telephone
interview from Beaumont. "There are fractures from head to toe. Massive
fractures. ... (He) died immediately. He didn't crawl away. He didn't
walk away from the plane."

The rock 'n' roll stars' plane crashed after taking off from Mason
City, Iowa, on Feb. 3, 1959 — a tragedy memorialized as "the day the
music died" in Don McLean's song American Pie.

Jay Richardson, who performs in tribute shows as "The Big Bopper Jr.,"
didn't know his father, who gained fame with the hit Chantilly Lace.
His mother was pregnant with him when his father died.

The Civil Aeronautics Board determined pilot error was the cause of the
crash. A gun that belonged to Holly was found at the crash site,
fueling rumors that the pilot was shot, but no one has ever proved a
gun was fired during the flight.

Richardson watched Bass open the coffin today and observed his
examination. He said he was pleased with the findings because it proved
the investigators "knew what they were talking about 48 years ago."

"I was hoping to put the rumors to rest," he said.

Bass and Richardson were surprised to find the body preserved enough to
be recognizable.

"Dad still amazes me 48 years after his death, that he was in
remarkable shape," Richardson said. "I surprised myself. I handled it
better than I thought I would."

The body was reburied in the cemetery but in a different plot where
there will be room for a graveside statue to be installed later.

Bass, 78, is a pioneer in his field and has worked on such famous cases
as confirming the identity of the Lindbergh baby that was kidnapped in
1932 and murdered.

Bass founded the University of Tennessee's Body Farm, which is formally
called the Anthropological Research Facility, to gather data on the
rate of decay of hundreds of donated corpses and help police
investigators determine time of death.

The New And Improved TexasGoodies!

Well, okay, maybe not new, but hopefully improved! I like the new template and I think it's easier on the eyes to read.

I've almost got 300 blathering posts in the past couple of years via the blogasphere so I'm thinking this isn't just a whim, it's here to stay! It's permanent, or as permanent as anything in life can be, so why not spiff it up? Spiffy is good for the soul....it's like moving furniture around....sometimes a gals got to do what a gals got to do! You get tired of looking at the same old, same old (hmmm which is probably why people can't stay married any more!).....but, as usual, I digress....

Enjoy TexasGoodies sans dots!

And thanks again to Blogger for the free space and almost 100% up-time all the time! The new Blogger is vastly improved and changing templates was slicker than owl poop! It just doesn't get any better than slick owl poop.....trust me on that one!

Where's My Dadgum Dots?

Is it just me or did my green dots just disappear overnight?

I've been thinking about biting the bullet and trying out a new template or one of the "easy" drop and drag customizations, but I didn't want to go to a lot of trouble. However if my dots took a dive then rather than try and "fix" the existing template I guess I'll just have to make some changes.

I'll pop the hood tomorrow and take a look-see......if you don't see me back up lookin' spiffy in a day or so send HELP!

Jason's Advice For Beating A Citation

Check out Jason's advice at Cigars....Donuts...and Coffee. Bearing in mind that the part about "beating" the ticket is mine, not his. Most of his advice is just common sense, but since too many folks don't have ANY common sense I can see where it'd be a good idea to bone up on the suggestions rather than be the bone-E next time you're pulled over!

A couple of years back I'd of just said the best way to get out of a citation is not to be breaking the law, but......I'll admit that being lucky doesn't hurt a bit either! I must be very, very lucky!

And I'm all for close calls. I find a good close call will put the fear of the Lord and the cop in you and see to it that you walk the straight and narrow until the shock wears off. Mileage may vary with gender differences.

The main thing, or so I've been told by those that know, is attitude. Clarification: make that GOOD attitude. Having a "tude" is not the same as being respectful and taking it like a "man". Whine like a little girl or cry like a baby and you're on your own. Oh and just in case it never dawned on you, trying to look down on a law enforcement officer while he is standing ABOVE you is dumb, dumb, dumb. It's a job nothing more and nothing less, but it's the kind of job that can ('cuse me) fuck you up good if you are an idiot.

Anyway it's good solid advice from one that knows. Unlike me who is just lucky or hasn't been caught YET....

One GOOD Reason NOT To Have A Garage Sale

.....because something you are wearing today and selling tomorrow MIGHT be worth a fortune in a hundred or so years, that's why!

Check it out........

(Thanks, Elaine, for the link!)

Woman talking on cell phone drives car into lake

March 1, 2007, 12:48PM

By KEVIN MORAN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

A sheriff's deputy and two bystanders rescued a northwest Harris County woman from her sunken car today after she drove into a pond while talking on her cellular telephone, the Harris County Sheriff's Department.

Kim Yuhee's 2001 Lexus sports car was was in about nine feet of water at a Twin Lakes subdivision pond when rescuers found her, cut her seat belt and dragged her unconscious about 50 feet to shore, said sheriff's Lt. John Martin.

"By the time they got her out, she was not breathing and did not have a pulse," Martin said.

Rescuers began CPR on Yuhee and she began breathing again before being rushed to Memorial City Hospital, Martin said.

The accident occurred at the intersection of Oregold and Sunbright at about 9:30 a.m., Martin said.

"She was talking on her cellular phone and apparently wasn't paying attention," Martin said of Yuhee.

He said rescuers reported that the woman at first appeared to be struggling with them as they tried to pull her from the submerged car.

The woman's car jumped a curb and crossed an expanse of grass before plunging into the manmade pond, Martin said.

---------------------*-*

I tell you what she's not the only gal yakking on her cell phone and driving around not paying attention! They ALL are! When we were on the way to the rodeo in stop and go heavy rush hour traffic I had time to observe the other drivers and ALL of them are on their cell phones! Men and women, but as a female, it annoys me no end that women can't drive for sh*t much less talk on the phone and drive! Now, of course, some women probably CAN do both and do them well, but MOST of them cannot. The least they can do is use an ear deal or one of those Blu-ray thing-a-ma-bobs. But better yet would be to just shut the f*ck up!

Now don't get to thinking I'm in favor of more dadgum laws....this being the prevailing fix-it for everything from too fat kids to blaming the victims and not the perps, etc. Why can't people just use their heads and mind their manners? The song Class from Chicago sums it all up nicely..... have a look-see and see if you don't agree!

Artist: Catherine Zeta-Jones / Queen Latifah Lyrics
Song: Class Lyrics
MATRON(Spoken)
The whole world's gone low-brow. Thing's ain't what
they used to be.

VELMA(Spoken)
They sure ain't, Mama. They sure ain't it's all gone.

(Singing)
Whatever happened to fair dealing?
And pure ethics
And nice manners?
Why is it everyone now is a pain in the ass?
Whatever happened to class?

MATRON
Class.
Whatever happened to, "Please, may I?"
And, "Yes, thank you?"
And, "How charming?"
Now, every son of a bitch is a snake in the grass
Whatever happened to class?

VELMA AND MATRON
Class!
Ah, there ain't no gentlemen
To open up the doors
There ain't no ladies now,
There's only pigs and whores
And even kids'll knock ya down
So's they can pass
Nobody's got no class!

VELMA
Whatever happened to old values?

MATRON
And fine morals?

VELMA
And good breeding?

MATRON
Now, no one even says "oops" when they're
Passing their gas
Whatever happened to class?

VELMA
Class

VELMA AND MATRON
Ah, there ain't no gentlemen
That's fit for any use
And any girl'd touch your privates
For a deuce

MATRON
And even kids'll kick your shins and give you sass

VELMA
And even kids'll kick your shins and give you sass

VELMA AND MATRON
Nobody's got no class!

VELMA
All you read about today is rape and theft

MATRON
Jesus Christ, ain't there no decency left?

VELMA AND MATRON
Nobody's got no class!

MATRON
Every guy is a snot!

VELMA
Every girl is a twat!

MATRON
Holy shit

VELMA
Holy shit

MATRON
What a shame

VELMA
What a shame

VELMA AND MATRON
What became of class?